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Pitchfork Festival 2021: Saturday Recap and Photos
Saturday afternoon at Pitchfork Festival 2021 began with more incredible performances and beautiful weather. Read up on our highlights from the festival’s second day below, and revisit our favorite moments from the first day here.
Bartees Strange
Bartees Strange is an artist I (very) regretfully had been sleeping on until catching his powerful performance at Pitchfork Festival this year. After playing in other projects, Bartees Strange began as a new solo endeavor for musician Bartees Leon Cox Jr. in 2017. Strange’s music refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre, and instead pulls in slices of rock, jazz, and hip hop. In 2020, he released a diverse debut album called Live Forever, as well as an EP of covers of songs by The National. The festival set included his take on the popular The National song “Lemonworld.”
Bartees Strange played his set with such a sense of conviction, pouring his entire heart and soul into his vocal performance and overall stage presence. I had the chance to see him play a festival after-show on Monday night to a packed crowd at the Empty Bottle, and it felt like we were all witnessing his dreams come true in front our eyes. Strange put on such a polished, yet raw and humble show that it was impossible not to become an instant fan.
Divino Niño
If you read our recommendations on must-see acts at the festival, you’ll know that Divino Niño was already at the top of the list for this weekend. Even though I had high expectations and I’ve seen them many times before, Divino Niño’s Pitchfork set exceeded those expectations by a landslide.
Thanks to the strong chemistry between band members Camilo Medina, Javier Forero, Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres, Pierce Codina, and Justin Vitorri, the group had an unwavering air of confidence and ease surrounding their festival performance on Saturday afternoon. Divino Niño is a project founded on happenstance, as Medina and Forero met as children in Columbia and reconnected in Miami as teenagers, before ultimately beginning to make music together in Chicago during college. From the poise and commanding stage presence that Medina, Forero and their bandmates demonstrated during this show, it truly felt like everything was as it should be during those moments.
With so much turmoil happening in the outside world, Divino Niño’s set provided a much needed escape and a chance to dance away our worries to the sound of their dreamy, psychedelic pop tunes.
Waxahatchee
The soothing escapism continued later on Saturday evening with a stunning set from Waxahatchee, the project of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield.
Crutchfield and her bandmates took their places on a stage decked out in roses, in front of a dreamy, cloud-filled backdrop that donned the name of Waxahatchee’s newest album, Saint Cloud.
Waxahatchee is one of those tried and true artists who consistently delivers incredible performances, and their Pitchfork set was no different. Like many artists at the fest, Waxahatchee was performing new songs from their 2020 album to this audience for the first time, so the set relied heavily on Saint Cloud songs, like “Fire” and “Lilacs.” Crutchfield and her band also sprinkled in some older gems from 2017’s Out in the Storm, like the crowd favorite “Recite Remorse.” The show wrapped up with a cover of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by the great Dolly Parton.
Ty Segall & Freedom Band
Before Ty Segall and his bandmates began officially playing, they had to wrap up some last minute soundchecks. Even with the minimal and quick riffs they ran through during this final soundcheck, the anticipation and eagerness already palpitated throughout the crowd.
When Segall and the band began shredding through their psychedelic, garage rock songs for the full show, the energy from the crowd became even more electrifying and added to the overall experience. Segall’s extensive catalog of records are great to listen to at home or in the car, but nothing compares to the magnitude of the live show. Throughout the set, we got to hear some newer tunes from the 2021 album Harmonizer amongst other classics like “Squealer” and “Finger” from earlier albums.
Angel Olsen
One of the best aspects of concerts and festivals is the sense of community behind them. While most of those community vibes happen among festival attendees, there’s also the collaborative element between the artists that you can only fully experience in a live setting.
Angel Olsen’s set that took place just after sunset had one of those moments, when Sharon Van Etten made a surprise appearance to join Olsen in performing their 2021 duet “Like I Used To” and close out the set. Prior to the special closing moment, Olsen kept the large crowd hooked with her ethereal vocals and witty stage banter. Before playing her hit “Shut Up Kiss Me,” Olsen joked with the audience that she was going to be trying out a brand new song she and the band had never played before-- which only piled on the excitement from the crowd when they recognized the opening lyrics of the tune.
St Vincent
Saturday night at Pitchfork closed out with a full-blown theatrical production from St. Vincent. The headlining set began with backup dancers and singers gracing the stage in 1970’s disco style garb, with Annie Clark (AKA St. Vincent) making her grand entrance shortly afterwards.
The entire stage setup and groovy costumes of Clark and her band truly felt like a trip back in time, continuing the theme of escapism during the festival’s second day. St. Vincent’s beautiful and charismatic performance of course included songs from the 2021 album Daddy’s Home, but the earlier half of the set called back to a lot of earlier material like “Birth in Reverse” and “New York.”
View more photos of the festival’s second day, including Horsegirl, Bartees Strange, Divino Niño, Amaarae, Waxahatchee, Ty Segall, Kim Gordon, Angel Olsen, Jamila Woods, and St. Vincent below, and stay tuned for Day 3 coverage.
Pitchfork Festival Photo Gallery
Already got the post-Pitchfork blues? Relive all the fun with our photo gallery of the incredible weekend, and check out our daily highlights featuring some standout moments during the performances.
Friday featured Priests, Hiss Golden Messenger, Vince Staples, Frankie Cosmos, Danny Brown, Dirty Projectors, and LCD Soundsystem.
Sunday featured NE-HI, Kilo Kish, poetry reading by the book fort, Isaiah Rashad, Joey Purp, Hamilton Leithauser, Pinegrove, Jamila Woods, and portraits with Vic Mensa and Taylor Bennett.
7 Must-See Acts To Catch at Pitchfork
Headliners Solange, A Tribe Called Quest, and LCD Soundsystem close out each night at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival. While we're excited to see these incredible acts who all contribute their own artistry in addition to great music, we're equally as excited to catch these seven non-headlining acts during the annual Pitchfork Fest next week. With so many talented musicians playing over the course of three days, it's hard to narrow down our picks, but these are the acts on the very top our list.
Francis and the Lights
If you couldn't tell from our Eaux Claires highlights, we're big fans of Francis Farewell Starlite and his work. Certain parts of his debut album may be an acquired taste, but once you dive into Farewell, Stalite! it's hard to come up for air from the addictive melodies and Starlite's distinct vocals, which have drawn some comparisons to Peter Gabriel. In recent years, Francis has also collaborated with Kanye, Justin Vernon, and Chance The Rapper. Besides his massive stage presence and smooth dance moves, you may just want to catch Francis's set for the possibility of guest performers. Chance has been showing up during his set at festivals throughout the summer, and at Eaux Claires, Francis invited some of the crowd up onstage to have a dance with him. To make sure you're in on all the fun, catch him Saturday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage.
Credit: Rachel Zyzda
For Fans Of: Bon Iver, James Blake, Blood Orange
Start With: "See Her Out (Thats Just Life)" and "May I Have This Dance"
NE-HI
It's been a whirlwind of a year for the Chicago four-piece NE-HI...putting out their sophomore album Offers in February (including an exclusive vinyl version at Shuga Records), performing on JBTV, and now playing one of the biggest festivals in their hometown after touring consistently. The group effortlessly encapsulates the vintage, fuzzy rock sound and feel-good melodies that has become such a signature feel of Chicago rock'n'roll music. That sound coupled with their high energy performances makes them a must-see on the final day of Pitchfork. Catch them Sunday at 2:30 on The Green Stage. They'll also be playing a special Pitchfork after show at Lincoln Hall on July 15th. Grab tickets here.
Credit: Bryan Allen Lamb
For Fans Of: The Walters, Twin Peaks, White Reaper
Start With: "Stay Young" and "Sisters"
Priests
This post-punk group from Washington, D.C always pushes the limits on their sound, delivering a refreshing and sonically diverse debut album Nothing Feels Natural this past January. Since then, Priests has been perfecting their high energy set while touring relentlessly. Catch them bright and early Friday at 1:45 on The Green Stage. They'll also be performing Saturday, July 15th at Schubas Tavern; grab your tickets here.
Credit: Audrey Melton
For Fans Of: Chastity Belt, Sheer Mag, Bully
Start With: "JJ" and "Appropriate"
Frankie Cosmos
Fronted by Greta Kline, who has adopted the stage name Frankie Cosmos, this outfit from NYC craft dreamy, indie pop tunes perfect for a festival. The upbeat melodies paired with Kline's ethereal vocals on songs from their two albums Zentropy and Next Thing will be sure to get the crowd dancing. Don't miss them on Friday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage. Frankie Cosmos will also be performing alongside Hoops at The Virgin Hotels on Friday evening. Get the scoop on that show here.
Credit: Matthew James-Wilson
For Fans Of: Japanese Breakfast, Alvvays, Diet Cig
Start With: "Young" and "Fool"
Pinegrove
Another east coast group, Pinegrove, has been all over the place this year, touring in support of their 2016 record Cardinal. The album features a raw approach to capturing frontman Evan Stephens Hall's vocals; their sound standing out from other indie rock outfits thanks to their slight country twang. The New Jersey band has also become known for their evolving live lineups consisting of many of their multi-talented bandmates, like Nandi Rose Plunkett, who fronts her own project called Half Waif. Regardless of their set up, their show at Pitchfork is one you won't want to miss. Catch them Sunday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage.
Courtesy of Brace Yourself PR
For Fans Of: (Sandy) Alex G, LVL UP, Whitney
Start With: "Old Friends" and "New Friends"
Angel Olsen
The Chicago via St. Louis singer-songwriter Angel Olsen puts a raw and retro spin on her building and often brooding narratives. Her newest album My Woman has received rave reviews from both fans and critics, and Olsen has just announced another tour in the Fall to follow up her current festival run. Her show at Pitchfork will undoubtedly be one of the most captivating performances of the festival. Catch Olsen's performance Saturday at 6:15 on The Green Stage.
Credit: Amanda Marsalis
For Fans Of: Mitski, Molly Burch, Big Thief
Start With: "Unfucktheworld" and "Shut Up Kiss Me"
Vagabon
With her soft yet powerful vocals that instantly hook listeners, Lætitia Tamko (aka Vagabon) will be sure to deliver a compelling set at Pitchfork. Although it's only eight tracks long, the New York based multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter takes listeners on a winding sonic journey during her latest album Infinite Words. You can experience these visceral songs by catching Vagabon on Saturday at 1:00 at The Green Stage. Vagabon will also be performing at The Beat Kitchen on July 15th (tickets here) and The Virgin Hotel on July 16th.
Katie Thompson
For Fans Of: Jay Som, Daughter, Girlpool
Start With: "Fear & Force" and "Cold Apartment"